Occupational therapy technician vs rehab technician

The differences between occupational therapy technicians and rehab technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an occupational therapy technician has an average salary of $32,056, which is higher than the $28,505 average annual salary of a rehab technician.

The top three skills for an occupational therapy technician include patients, physical therapy and adaptive. The most important skills for a rehab technician are patients, physical therapy, and rehabilitation.

Occupational therapy technician vs rehab technician overview

	Occupational Therapy Technician	Rehab Technician
Yearly salary	$32,056	$28,505
Hourly rate	$15.41	$13.70
Growth rate	25%	24%
Number of jobs	54,684	27,969
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	41	39
Years of experience	-	-

Occupational therapy technician vs rehab technician salary

Occupational therapy technicians and rehab technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Occupational Therapy Technician	Rehab Technician
Average salary	$32,056	$28,505
Salary range	Between $14,000 And $68,000	Between $22,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	-	Colorado
Best paying company	-	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between occupational therapy technician and rehab technician education

There are a few differences between an occupational therapy technician and a rehab technician in terms of educational background:

	Occupational Therapy Technician	Rehab Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Kinesiology
Most common college	Northwestern University	University of Virginia

Occupational therapy technician vs rehab technician demographics

Here are the differences between occupational therapy technicians' and rehab technicians' demographics:

	Occupational Therapy Technician	Rehab Technician
Average age	41	39
Gender ratio	Male, 26.1% Female, 73.9%	Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 5.2% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.3% Asian, 7.5% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	8%	7%

Differences between occupational therapy technician and rehab technician duties and responsibilities

Occupational therapy technician example responsibilities.

Administer physical and occupational therapy treatment plans to patients under the direct supervision of a therapist.
Assist therapists with transfers and ADL sessions in acute, ICU, and rehabilitation.
Assist in providing rehabilitative therapy to patients in the rehabilitation, transitional care and outpatient clinics.
Prepare materials for assessments and provide assistance to individuals through hands-on methods and direct contact observations by assisting the rehabilitation supervisor.
Maintain dynamic and static AAC devices, create overlays and programme changes to devices.
Suggest energy conservation/work simplification techniques.

Rehab technician example responsibilities.

Make rounds for walkers and wheelchairs for patients.
Assist therapist with transfers, monitoring of splints, hot packs, and modalities.
Prepare patients for therapy sessions and assist patients to put on devices such as braces and splints.
Maintain and clean medical equipment, interact with staff and patients, and occasionally cover the reception desk.Skills UsedCNA and CPR
Provide nursing and orthopedic patient care for stroke patients, assisting with rehabilitation, medication and recovery knowledge.
Assist physical therapists in the rehabilitation of patients by providing exercise programs and proper treatment for healthy injury recovery.

Occupational therapy technician vs rehab technician skills

Common occupational therapy technician skills

Patients, 37%
Physical Therapy, 9%
Adaptive, 7%
Vital Signs, 6%
Occupational Therapy Treatments, 6%
Patient Care, 5%

Common rehab technician skills

Patients, 24%
Physical Therapy, 10%
Rehabilitation, 10%
Customer Service, 6%
CPR, 4%
Cleanliness, 4%

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Healthcare Support Industry
Occupational Therapy Technician
Occupational Therapy Technician vs Rehab Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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